Automobile shock-absorber.



C. L. THOMAS.

AUTOMOBILE SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-20. 19H.

1,153,876. I Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

CHARLES LEE THOMAS, OFCANISTEO, NEW YORK.-

.AU'IOMOBILE SHOCK-ABSORBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

Application filed. August 20, 1914. Serial No. 857,756.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, CHARLES L. THOMAS,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at Canisteo, in the county ofSteuben and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automobile Shock Absorbers, of which the following is aspecification. 7 I

My invention relates to shock absorbers of the metallic spring type, andmy main object is to provide an article of this kind which will benoiseless in operation. Ordinarily springs of this type have a slidingmovement relative .to the .parts which connect the spring to the vehicleand the connecting parts comprise'elemen'ts which will rattle orvibrate, consequently producing considerable noise when the vehicletraverses an uneven road surface.

I have found that the object above mentioned can be carried out bypivotally connecting the spring to the parts which support the same fromthe vehicle and mounting the elements of the attaching parts yieldinglyso that the shocks imparted to the elements will be absorbed.

I attain the foregoing object with the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the shockabsorber, Fig. 2 is an end elevation taken from the right of Fig. 1,Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of a modified form of shackle that maybe employed.

Referring specifically to the drawings, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts, the shock absorbing spring'proper isgenerally designated A and comprises arms 1 and 2 and a coil at 3 fromwhich the arms 1 and 2 extend. This spring is preferably made in onepiece and bent from a yieldable rod or wire and each of the arms 1 and 2has its free end bent'into an eylet, the eyelet of the arm 1 beingdesignated 41 and the eyelet of the'arm 2 being designated 5.

Brackets B and O are employed to connect the arms 1 and 2 to properparts of the vehicle and it is essential that these arms be connected tothe brackets so that a slight pivotal movement may occur. A bolt 6passes through the eyelet 4 and an arm 7 of the member B. A nut 8 ismounted on the bolt 6 beyond the arm 7. This arm 7 has extendingtherefrom an angle arm 9 and through the angle arm 9 extends a fasteningbolt 10.

A bolt 11 serves to fasten the member O pivotally to the arm 2 and thisbolt extends through eyelet 5 and through a head 12 of the said memberC. On the bolt 11 beyond said member C is mounted a fastening nut 13.The head 12 has depending therefrom bolt arms 14 which extend throughopenings of a removable cross bar 15 and beyond which bar 15 nuts 16 aremounted.

Itis obvious that bolts or the equivalent, and nuts, must necessarily beemployed to fasten the membersBand O and in order that the nuts andbolts be anti-rattling, so as to cooperate with the pivotally mountedmembers B and C to render the shock absorber noiseless, a split ring orspring washer 17 is mounted on the bolt 10 between the arm 9 and the nut18 of the bolt; a similar Washer 19 is mounted on the bolt 6intermediate its head and the eyelet 1; a spring washer 20 similar tothe washer 17 is mounted on bolt 11 intermediate its head and the eyelet5, and spring washers 21, similar to the washers 17 are mounted on thebolt arms 14 intermediate the bar 15 and nuts 16. If desired ordinaryWearing washers, as seen at 22, may be employed intermediate the springWashers and the adjacent parts of the shock absorber. It will berealized that the nuts, in addition to forming fastening means, serve asmeans Whereby the tension of the spring washers may be regulated.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific formof shackles or fastening members B and G as these forms have beenprovided merely for the type of vehicle to which the shock absorber maybe attached. A modified form of shackle is seen in Fig. 3, and in thisfigure a bolt 23 is shown which is equivalent of the bolt 11. On thisbolt 23 is mounted a clamp bar 24:, having an opening through which passbolt arms 25 of a clip or shackle proper 26. On the arms 25 beyond thebar 24: are provided split spring washers 27, similar to the Washers 17and beyond these washers are mounted nuts 28. 1

In use, as the vehicle equipped with the shock absorber travels, roadinequalities will cause the yielding of the arms 1 and 2 toward eachother. When these arms yield toward each other, they have a slightpivotal movement from their fastening members B and O on the bolts 6 and11. Fastening members B and C as Will be realized, are secured to propervehicle parts and fastened by means of the bolt 10 and the bolt arms 14and associated parts. The nuts 16 and 18 are yieldably locked by meansof the split spring Washers 17 and 21. Thus the nuts 16 and 18 arefastened against removal and a yieldable means is provided between thesame and the adjacent parts of the shock absorber. Due to the foregoingconstruction, all of the parts of the article are mounted so that unduesliding movement Will not ocour and so that the movement of practicallyall of the parts is cushioned, thus avoiding rattling incidental tovibration and overcoming the usual noise.

Asmerely the preferred embodiment. of the invention has been illustratedand described, changes in the details of construction may be resorted toWithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described my invention What I Copies of this patent may beobtained for claim and Wish to secure Letters Patent upon is: a

A noiseless shock absorber having a spring arm provided With an eyeletmember integral With the arm, a fastening device, a bolt passing throughthe eyelet of the eyelet member and through the fastening devicepivotally connecting the member and fastening device, a shock absorbingspring member on said bolt, a nut on said bolt, a vertically disposedbolt member on said device, a

shock absorbing spring member on said bolt member, a nut on said boltmember, said nut of said'bolt and said nut of said bolt member inaddition to serving as fastening means, serving as means to tension theshock absorbing spring members. a

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

CHARLES LEE THOMAS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES B. SOHAUMBERG, HERMAN E. BUCK.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. G.

